House and Garden 
V^OL. X 
JULY, 1906 
No. I 
FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AND HIS WORK 
IV. FRANKLIN PARK, BOSTON, MASS. 
By John Nolen 
Photographs by Thomas fV. Sears 
OpHIS account of Franklin Park, Boston, is 
intended to illustrate some of the more 
essential principles ot landscape design. It will 
therefore consider, as in the preceding studies of this 
series, the pre-existing conditions, the essential 
purposes of the design, and the means employed for 
realizing those purposes. The first point of impor¬ 
tance was the selection of the site. The Boston 
Park Commissioners set down four considerations 
that should control such selection, (i) Accessi¬ 
bility for all classes of citizens hy walking, driving, 
riding, or hy means of cars. (2) Economy, or the 
selection, so far as practicable of such lands as were 
not income producingTproperty, and would least 
disturb the natural growth of the city,—lands, 
moreover, which would become relatively nearer the 
centre of population in future years. (3) Adapt¬ 
ability, or the selection of land possessing in the 
BRIDGE OVER SCARBORO POND. AN ILLUSTRATION OF APPROPRIATE CONSTRUCTION ADDING 
AND NOT DETRACTING FROM THE SCENE 
Coftyrighl, igo6, by The John C. Winston Co. 
3 
